


I Think There's A Flaw In My Code

by UltimateGamer101



Series: UG101's Undertale One-Shots [7]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Blueberry Believes, Depression, Error Isn't Insane Anymore, Everyone Can Be A Good Person If They Just Try, Everyone Deserves A Second Chance, Feelings, He Hates Himself So Hard, He Knows What He's Done, Ink is Kinda a Jerk but also Not Completely, Manipulative Blueberry, Redemption, Suicide Attempt, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-22 20:09:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10704207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UltimateGamer101/pseuds/UltimateGamer101
Summary: The voices were gone.His mind was clear.He finally understood what he had done....And now he was going to pay for it.





	I Think There's A Flaw In My Code

Error stared at the blank page of the sketchpad before him, some pencils that Ink had lost set down beside him. He'd never known before why he bothered to keep them, but now, in this moment, staring at this empty paper, he felt the heavy hand of Fate upon him...

_The voices in his head were silent._

Picking up one of the pencils, a lovely shade of Determination Red, he pressed it to the page... and promptly cast it aside, muttering to himself about how it was too aggressive. Blue would be a better color to use, perhaps even Integrity Blue... using that color would be horrifically fitting to the situation.

_His mind was clear._

Retrieving the proper shade of blue from the various colored pencils, the Destroyer of Worlds lifted the pencil to the page, and began to write.

_*Hey there, Ink. You probably know what I'm writing right now. The supplies I'm using are yours, after all, stolen from the battlegrounds of past disputes.*_

He froze for a moment, wondering if that sounded enough like his old self to avoid suspicion.

...probably not, but what did it matter anyways? It didn't matter what anyone thought anymore.

_But he needed to be more convincing._

The pencil tip snapped, and Error picked up a stolen sharpener to restore the pencil to its former glory, before writing again.

_*I just wanted to let you know that you probably won't be seeing me for a while. Got universes to destroy, an infinite Multiverse to avoid you in, so good luck trying to stop me. Maybe next time we meet, I can tell you all about the latest universe I destroyed. We can make a party of it, put the fun into funerals.*_

Now that just sounded awkward. Dammit, he just couldn't do anything right, could he?

He crossed out the last line several times, and paused for a moment.

_*...fuck this note. Um. Yeah.*_

That certainly helped.

Absolutely.

No fucking doubt about it.

_*Nevermind. You might just never see me again. So bye, or whatever, have fun with the rest of your life.*_

Without stopping to think about what a shitty letter that was overall, Error tore out the page and cast aside the sketchpad itself, abandoning the art supplies on the off chance that Ink could use them to find him. Doubtful, but he didn't know how the Protector's powers worked exactly, and he didn't want anyone interrupting what he had planned.

_A new perspective is sometimes all it takes._

Opening a portal to his favorite universe- what, it wasn't his favorite, he just didn't feel the urge to fuck up space- Error left the stolen art supplies back in the Anti-Void, and entered a Post-Pacifist Timeline. Nobody was still in space after a Pacifist Timeline in Outertale, which made it the ideal timeline to be in for this universe, particularly for haphephobic skeletons.

Placing the note in his pocket and removing his jacket, the Destroyer proceeded to sit upon the edge of the asteroid and gaze off into the starry expanse before him. It was such a beautiful sight, something he didn't mind being the last thing he ever saw. Maybe that was why he was here instead of anywhere else- after all, he was here to destroy a universe. He just hadn't mentioned that it was his own.

_...he'd finally come to understand just what he had done._

Errortale. The lost universe of Error Sans, the Destroyer of Worlds, Sans Abomination #1. Centered around the skeleton himself, following his story... all he really had to do was destroy himself to end his own universe. He deserved a worse fate than that he'd given to countless others, but ending his own reign of terror this way was almost poetic.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to sleep again, for the first time since going through that early phase of laziness in the Anti-Void.

He wanted to sleep again, but this time, forever.

_The Multiverse would be better off without him anyways._

Summoning a few strings- much thicker than normal- he began to move quickly, as though afraid that somebody would stop him. Soon he had a noose tied firmly around his cervical vertebrae, the other end anchored securely in the ground beside him, and a thick layering of strings around his wrists. The noose's purpose was obvious, and the strings around his wrists were just in case he changed his mind part way through... he didn't want to go back.

The note was on the jacket, the noose was tied and anchored firm. All he had to do now was walk off the edge, and let himself Fall. It would be over quick, right? Humans used to hang their criminals like this, and it would snap their necks when they fell. He was a criminal who deserved a much worse fate, but hey, he didn't have access to following in Gaster's footsteps. Plus that dude was still alive somehow, and he wanted to end it, so that route wasn't really all that appropriate.

_All he had to do was let go._

With a deep, shaky breath, the Destroyer walked forth over the edge...

...

...why wasn't he dying?

Oh, right.

HE WAS IN SPACE.

**SPACE.**

NO GRAVITY.

Stars dammit, he couldn't do the right thing even if it was as simple as killing himself. AND he had tied himself up, so he was stuck like this for the next foreseeable future.

...

Maybe he could freeze to death?

...

A nap would be nice. He could just go to sleep and pretend that he was dead.

Yeah, that sounded like a good plan for now. He'd just have to try again later...

* * *

...

"Pfft... by the Creators, what have you gotten yourself into this time?"

Ink had been checking on some of the Pacifist universes to see how things were going, maybe play a prank or two, when he'd changed upon a rather amusing and peculiar sight. His arch nemesis, floating around with a leash of some sort tethering him to the land, and handcuffs made of strings. What, was this Error's introduction to bondage or something? Hahaha!

_...he stopped laughing when he read the note._

Quickly, quietly, the Protector gathered up the sleeping Destroyer and his things, and brought them back to the house. This changed everything. The others had to know. Ink... he didn't quite know what to do with this situation. They would be able to handle this better. Hopefully.

"Guys... don't panic... but I found something."

* * *

...

Error looked so small without his jacket on.

Strange, how that was the thing that most people chose to focus on.

It wasn't even something unique to him- it was just a skeleton thing. Having no flesh meant that clothes hung off of their bones quite loosely, and the particular jacket type that most Sanses wore was just fluffy enough to make them seem bigger than they were. Same went for the Papyruses, but most Papyruses just wore tight clothes beneath their armor and called it a day.

Still.

Seeing the Destroyer like this, so small without his coat, made him seem... weak, and vulnerable.

_Looks like some free EXP._

Sans Classic shook his head, his bone brows furrowed as he dismissed that last thought from his skull. This was a version of him that'd been driven insane, and after recovering from that insanity, hadn't hesitated to try killing himself. That sort of atonement for his sins... well, it wasn't what he deserved.

Error deserved... more. 

Better. 

Worse. 

What better punishment was there than to live with the consequences of his actions?

A movement from the glitched skeleton caused the other skeletons present to freeze for just a moment, and watch as he became aware of his surroundings. It was, amusingly, almost like watching the endless cycle of garbage in Waterfall. He opened his eyesockets, sat up, glanced around to see the group of his alternate versions, and promptly lay back down to pretend he was garbage.

_Well, who's pretending?_

It seemed he had accepted whatever fate he had been given. However, when all anyone did was stare at him, he began to get... not afraid, he wasn't afraid. He was annoyed. Yes. Annoyed. Irritated. Those were familiar emotions, ones he could call up with ease.

"Well? What the fuck do you want?"

Ink walked forward, the note in hand, and held it up.

"Really, Error? You thought you could just end yourself that easily, after all you've done, and leave this short and vague note as your farewell? Honestly, if you hadn't forgotten that gravity was a thing necessary to hang yourself, we wouldn't have had any idea what you'd done. It would've looked like you just disappeared."

A few nods of agreement had Error rolling his eyelights and sitting back up, pulling on his familiar jacket that'd previously been laid under his skull as a pillow. Idly, he wondered who had done so, but ultimately decided that it didn't matter. Nothing mattered, really.

"You act like you would've cared if I disappeared."

The Protector lifted his head and began to respond, but Error continued over him with a raised hand.

"No, you would've, but only because you wouldn'tve known where I was. You wouldn'tve known what trouble I was causing, and that's why you'd care. I understand that. Even without the voices telling me what you're thinking, I understand the way you think."

He chucked slightly, and brought himself up to a standing position. His glitched hands found their way into his pockets, a subconscious display that most Sanses made when they were experiencing some form of... giving up. Letting go. He truly didn't care anymore, did he?

_What right did a murderer have to care, anyways?_

Classic stepped forward, reaching out to touch Error's shoulder. It was a daring move, considering the glitched skeleton was haphephobic... but other than tensing up slightly, the other didn't react. Had regaining his sanity given him recovery from his haphephobia as well?

"Heh. You look surprised. Well, it's not like I can fuck up any more than I already have, so what's a little touch gonna do?"

The Destroyer was so open. He wasn't even trying to fight to escape. Did he want them to end him? Did he want to die?

That was a stupid question, of course he did! He'd tried to kill himself, of course he wanted to die! With all these enemies before him, he probably thought that they'd kill him, and that was why he wasn't fighting. He wanted to die.

"Error, you believe that you're beyond redemption, don't you?"

Everyone turned to see none other than Blueberry stepping forward, sadness evident within his posture. They were shocked at the expression upon his skull, the solemn air he was displaying- so unlike his usual cheerful attitude as a Papyrus equivalent.

"Of course. I've killed countless beings and destroyed countless universes. Releasing the few human souls I had collected and killing myself doesn't come close to redemption, but what else can I do? It's better if I don't exist, but erasing myself like Gaster wouldn't work. He's still around. As is Core Frisk. That kind of existential erasure is flawed, so death is the next best thi-"

He didn't get the chance to brace himself before Blueberry was hugging him. The foreign contact was uncomfortable, coming close to making him care again, but he did little more than stiffen and stare at the other with empty eyesockets. The feeling of caring would fade soon enough, and he could go about ending himself when the others got their Papyrus equivalents out of view. The Papyruses were probably the only reason he was still alive, anyways.

"THAT'S NOT TRUE! Error, you're already on the way to becoming better! The first step to recovery is realizing that you've done something wrong!"

The Destroyer twitched, and his eyelights returned as he stared in amusement, utterly uncaring of the other skeletons watching him. It would take a lot to make him care about them again.

"Isn't that some stupid shit humans say about addictions in rehab? Murdering people isn't an addiction, Blue, it's just murder."

The shortest Sans squeezed the Destroyer, and drew back to stare firmly into his eyesockets... Error didn't like that look.

"Language, and no, but before you never thought what you were doing was wrong! Therefore, you've gotten on the right track anyways!"

...the Destroyer was beginning to care again. He tugged himself free from the embrace Blueberry had put him in, a scowl present upon his skull, anger and frustration visible to the others.

It gave him some satisfaction to see them stiffen in fear of him, but he shook that thought from his skull, furious at himself for feeling such a thing. He wasn't insane anymore, he didn't have to listen to the voices, he didn't have to heed to maxed out LOVE branding his soul. They shouldn't have to fear him anymore.

"Look. Whatever goody-goody plan you've got to redeem me, it won't work. I'm beyond saving. So fuck off and let me die, okay?"

_Stop. Just stop._

"Everyone can be a good person if they just try to, Error! And it may not seem like it, but you're trying right now! I can see it Error, I can see the regret you're carrying! I can see that you want to be better!"

_Stop looking at him like that._

"A cute little apology isn't going to make what I've done go away. Now I'm only going to say this one more time- fuck off, and let me die!"

_Stop looking at him like he can be saved!_

Error slashed his hand through the air, opening a portal and fleeing the scene with all the SPEED a Sans could possess. In pursuit, he could sense only Blueberry, as the others hadn't reacted quickly enough to go through his first portal... dammit, the fucking Swap just didn't know when to quit.

"I know you might want to run away, but you can't stop now! Not when you're so close to taking that next step!"

Cutting through another portal, Error made two at the next passage, jumping through one and hoping that his determined follower would choose the other. 

No such luck.

"Fuck off! You're the one who should be running from me, but you've always been too stupid to do that! Even when I killed everyone in your timeline and took you from the only one you had left, you never fucking run! Why won't you learn!?"

Another double portal, and Error felt a slight drain upon his reserves. He hadn't eaten in a while, had he? Not since the voices left him. How long had he been napping?

"It's because I know you can do better! Even now, you're already doing better! Before, you would've killed me, but you haven't attacked me even once yet! You know that I'm right, Error! You know that you can do better!"

_Enough._

"I killed everyone you loved and left the last one to go insane!"

_Please..._

"I've done the same to many others, just because I thought I was better than them!"

_Stop trying so hard._

"But you're not killing or torturing people any more! Error, I know you're a good person!"

_He's not worth the effort._

**"Why can't you just see that I'm beyond saving!?"**

The Destroyer turned and glared, panting from the outburst, self-loathing thick within his eyelights. His sole follower stopped as well, gazing back at him with nothing but understanding upon his skull... but still, he stepped forward once more, reaching out to Error with open arms.

_Looks like some free EXP._

No. Not anymore.

"You are a good person, Error. You just need to learn how to be good again, and I can teach you. Please! Erasing yourself from life and existence isn't the answer! You can always be better, and if you can't figure out how when you're alone, then I can help you! Please... let me help you!"

The glitched skeleton stared in silence, emotions flying through his soul too quickly to be identified. For several minutes, this silence carried on, Blueberry's declaration being the last thing carried by this air...

Then, finally, the rattling of bones could be heard.

"Why? After all the horrible things I've done..."

The Destroyer gazed at Blue's open arms as though they were everything he wanted. Redemption, his final chance for redemption, right there before him... but he didn't deserve it.

"I just don't understand..."

The other skeleton stepped forward slowly, as though approaching a wounded animal. He was careful not to move to quickly, lest he spook Error into fleeing again, but finally managed to wrap his arms around the glitched skeleton.

"Why?"

Slowly, with positive emotions simply pouring out from his soul, Blue brought Error close in an understanding hug.

"Everyone deserves a second chance to be better, if they want to be. You are no exception."

The threat had been neutralized, in the best way possible. 

Error would be able to recover under close watch, and no universe would be destroyed again.

The Multiverse was finally safe...

...

...for now.


End file.
